Zodiac
by Lindsey Dylan
Summary: When stars come falling out of the sky, twelve heroes must rise to the occasion to save the world. Collaboration with Amerath's Destiny, accepting OCs.
1. Prologue

**LD: Hey guys! Welcome to my first ever SYOC collab fic. This collab fic is being done with Amerath's Destiny. It's something we've been talking about for a while and I think it's about time we got this show on the road. I think it's a really cool fic and I'm sure it's something that hasn't been done before. And I hope y'all like it too, because I do. Also, you can check out my profile and Amerath's Destiny's profile (the link to it is on my profile) if you guys wanna read any of our other stories. Happy reading!**

**AD: Yo, everyone! This is also my first collabfic - I'm super excited about it! Please remember that Lindsey Dylan and I have slightly different writing style - we're doing our best to make them as similar as possible for your benefit, but please excuse any discrepancies between chapters. Remember, you can submit OCs. Currently, all of the twelve main character positions are filled - except for Leo, which we still need. We are also in need to Gym Leaders, and Elite Four, and a Champion. You can submit OCs here: topic/116658/75132001/1/Zodiac. Also, if you're interested, the forum itself is a place to submit OCs to various Pokémon fanfics, as well as to look for OCs for one of your own SYOC fanfics, so feel free to check it out! Hope you enjoy reading it; please drop a review if you have the chance!**

**Disclaimer: Amerath's Destiny and I do not own Pokemon at all in any way! Since it's her idea, she owns the plot and her OC's, just like I own my OC's. We also do not own any of the other OC's; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

~**_Prologue~_**

* * *

At the base of a mountain, people cheered and roared in excitement as twelve gigantic parade floats moved down along a cobblestone road. Dancers, festively clothed in yellows, pinks, and blues, danced with their partners in the square of the quaint, old village. The delicious aroma of traditional food drifted from hundreds of stands lining the old brick paths. People walked by, stopping from time to time at booth to play a little game.

In the midst of all the excitement, a few children ran off toward an alleyway. They made a right at the corner and ran up to a wooden gate. They pushed it open and ran out into the open field behind it. They saw several other children gathered underneath a pavilion and raced over. Seated in the center of the children was a sleeping, silver-haired woman. "Nora!" a young girl yelled loudly.

The elderly lady woke up and yawned. "Is it time for the story already?" she asked.

The girl nodded. "You always tell the story every year at sunset, just before the fireworks start," another child replied.

"I'm not sure if I remember the whole thing, but I'll just tell you the story anyway," she sighed.

The old woman shifted in her chair and yawned again. "Is everyone ready?" she asked. The multitude of children around her nodded and settled themselves on the floor.

"Ages ago, the creation of the world and everything in it had been completed," Nora said. "Arceus, our maker, was finally ready to go into slumber..."

* * *

_"The days of creation are over," Arceus told the people of the world he had labored to create. "I have made the decision to go into a long slumber."_

_"How long?" a man asked._

_"I will sleep for a few thousand years," Arceus replied._

_"How many thousands or years?" the same man asked._

_"Until I feel rested enough," Arceus replied. "However, I would not leave you all alone and unattended for so long. This is why I created Ophiuchus."_

_As if on cue, a Dragon Pokémon began encircling the skies._

_"Ophiuchus will be your guardian until I awaken," Arceus explained. "He has the equal amount of power I do. He shall protect you and my world from harm."_

_As Ophiuchus roared, a bell, from somewhere, had rung in the distance._

_"I say farewell to you all. It is time that I go to my slumber," Arceus told the people of the world. Then, he opened up a vortex in the sky and entered it. The vortex shrank slowly until it had disappeared. This was the last time the people of Earth saw of Arceus for thousands of years._

* * *

"Ophiuchus was a good guardian, fulfilling the task Arceus had bestowed upon him every day," Nora said. "But one fateful day changed. An ambitious group of evil men and women found a way to control Ophiuchus to do their dark bidding. They used him to do horrible things, and Armageddon began."

"What's Armageddon?" one of the children asked.

"Armageddon is the end of all days," Nora replied.

"What does that mean?" another child questioned.

"It was the end of the world," She simply replied.

"Ophiuchus caused the end of the world?" a boy asked as if it was the most incredible thing he had ever heard.

"Nearly," Nora said.

"So what happened?" a girl asked.

"It was only after that group had full control of Ophiuchus that Arceus awoke from his slumber..."

* * *

_A scream echoed across the dimensions. It traveled far and wide, reaching the ears of a divine equine being. Green eyes with blazing red pupils snapped open. Arceus had been disturbed from his slumber. He opened a vortex to the world of his creation and entered._

_The entire earthen plain was scorched with fire, the embers reflecting in the eyes of the holy Arceus. A quarter of the population had been burnt to death, while many of the others suffered from severe malnutrition. Still more had finished themselves off before the worst had come. He saw a great, winged, serpentine dragon smashing a towering building into ruins. The people had just begun to flee, running to avoid being trapped in the rubble. Ophiuchus, the Dragon Pokémon, fired a gigantic ball of energy at another building, setting it aflame._

_"Ophiuchus, that is enough!" Arceus roared, earning the Pokemon's attention._

_"You have caused enough havoc on this world and the people who inhabit it!" he cried._

_Ophiuchus tackled Arceus, pushing him away. But Arceus retaliated, tackling Ophiuchus in return. Arceus took hold of the great Dragon Pokémon and dragged him back to the skies._

* * *

"Did Arceus and Ophiuchus keep battling in the sky?" a ten-year-old girl asked.

Nora shook her head. "When Arceus dragged Ophiuchus back to the skies, he began questioning Ophiuchus about his motives." she explained. "Ophiuchus, no longer under control of the evil men, told him the true story. Arceus was furious. He came to the conclusion that it wasn't Ophiuchus' doing, but ours..."

* * *

_"Those ungrateful humans!" Arceus thundered. "They dare betray me! I will see to it that their entire world and everything in it is destroyed!"_

_Ophiuchus roared a response, but Arceus only laughed._

_"You still believe in the good of humanity?" Arceus asked. "After what they've done to you? After what they forced you to become?"_

_Ophiuchus nodded._

_"Fool!" Arceus roared, his eyes blazing with fury. "You have been a part of this great disaster as well. You have brought havoc upon the world I created and now you must pay the price as well."_

_He tackled Ophiuchus, but Ophiuchus fought back. For a long while, the two struggled in the sky, before Arceus struck Ophiuchus down and knocked him out. Even with half of Arceus' powers granted to the Dragon Pokémon upon his creation, Arceus still remained superior. Still furious, Arceus began to cut up Ophiuchus' body into pieces. Then, a strange thing began to occur - with every chop, Arceus felt the rage slowly draining out of him, until none was left. He stared at twelve pieces before him. Three pieces were from Ophiuchus' head, three came from his back where his wings has once connected, three pieces belonged to the stomach, and three pieces were left of Ophiuchus' tail._

_Arceus looked at them. He was completely and utterly calm, all his fury gone. The Creator sighed and, slowly, the pieces began to glow. They each took on a new shape and formed into twelve Pokemon. By group, he deemed the ones from the head as the Guardians of Fire. The three from the back became the Guardians of Air, the ones who formed from the stomach were the Guardians of Earth, and the three that came from the tail were the Guardians of Water. "You twelve shall be my bearers of news," Arceus said. "I'm sending you all down to Earth with a task. Walk among the humans and determine their fate. Do they deserve to live? Or is it time for their existence to end?"_

_The twelve Pokémon looked at each other and nodded. Arceus' eyes glowed a short while, and the twelve Pokemon departed, each leaving for a different part of the world._

* * *

"The twelve Pokémon returned to Arceus with good news, and so Arceus spared us and the entire world from destruction," Nora said. "Every few thousands of years, it is said that these same twelve Pokémon are sent back to Earth to judge humanity's worth. And that's why we celebrate the Novus Feast."

"Hey, Nora, what are the names of those Pokémon again?" a young boy asked.

"The Guardians of Fire are Leo, Aries, and Sagittarius," Nora replied. "Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are the Guardians of Air. Then there's Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, who are all the Guardians of Earth. And the Guardians of Water are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces."

A loud boom echoed through the town, and the group looked up toward the heavens. The sky was filled with the bursting colors of fireworks and a few of the younger children squeal in excitement. They got up, ran out of the pavilion and back into the village. "The Novus Region sure is getting a lot of recognition these days," Nora mumbled to herself as she stretched out her old limbs. "But, I guess it's good for business. A lot of trainers will probably start coming over here once words gets out that there's a new region. And a lot of new businesses, too... oh well."

_And so the tale began once more._

* * *

**LD: So there's the prologue. I hope y'all like it, because I surely do. I really poured all my effort and sweat into this. And since I did the prologue, Amerath's Destiny will be taking over Chapter 1. Yay! *applause* Anyway, so please R&R! Just don't review any flames. It you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. It's better that way. Don't you agree?**

**_~L. Dylan~_**

**_(Also known as LD)_**


	2. Chapter 1

**AD: Well, guys, looks like it's my turn, this chapter! I hope you all enjoy it! Reviews are greatly appreciated, and I have no problem with critique - if you don't tell me what I'm going wrong, how do I become a better writer? Please know that OC submissions are still open - we have lots of space for Gym Leaders and the Elite Four! Also, there's still one Zodiac position still available: Leo. (I know I only said Leo was available last chapter, and I'm sorry.) There's several little Easter Eggs in this chapter - first, the Champion of the Novus Region shows up briefly with his signature Pokémon. Yes, Anika was reading about Ash Ketchum, and yes, that was Pokéshipping, and no, Anika doesn't like any of it. The other book she reads - _The Hermit_ - is a Major Arcana card in tarot readings, which this fic was almost about. It's also the card that I feel represents Anika the most. Finally...guess what Anika is going to be when she grows up. It's not hard. Oh! Also, try to figure out the theme of the cities in the Novus Region. (It's not too hard.) If you're the first to figure it out, I'll give you...Something. I'll figure something out. Anyways, please read, review, and submit!**

**Disclaimer:**** Neither I nor Lindsey Dylan own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form. The plot is mine, Anika Heartlily is mine, and the mystery Pokémon is mine. Lindsey Dylan's OCs belongs to her, and all other OCs and Fakemon belong to their respective owners. Please do not use the plot or the characters unless you have express permission from both creators.**

* * *

**_~Chapter 1~_**

* * *

It was a rare rainy day toward the end of summer when Anika Heartlily sent her parents off on their second honeymoon.

"Are you sure you're going to be all right here all on your own?" Anika's mother asked her. Her father stood by her, holding an umbrella over their heads.

"Of course," Anika smiled at her mother. "You used to leave Griff and me on our own for much longer than this."

"Yes, yes, but Griff isn't here right now. He's still traveling. Oh, maybe we should wait until he comes back in a few months…" her mother fretted.

"She'll be fine," her father assured her. "Anika is seventeen and very responsible. Besides, we'll only be gone for two weeks."

"You two haven't had any time alone since Griff was born - and that was twenty five years ago. This trip is long overdue; you shouldn't put it off any longer. No worries, I can hold down the fort."

"I'm not worried about you taking care of yourself," her mother sighed. "This farm is so out of the way of everything else - if something happens-"

"I'll call the Solaceon Police," Anika cut her off. "Besides, I have Velma here to protect me." The ears of the Herdier at her feet pricked up at the sound of her name. "Don't worry about me. You two go enjoy yourselves."

Finally, her mother gave in, stepping out of the shelter of her husband's umbrella and under that of her daughter's. She cupped Anika's heart shaped face in her hands and kissed the top of her ash blonde head.

"I know you can take care of yourself. It's just a mother's job to worry," she laughed.

Anika smiled at her mother. "I know. Just try not to fret too much, or you won't have any fun on your trip!"

Anika's father guided her mother into the waiting taxi, the worried woman spouting instructions all the way. "Remember to feed Velma every day - dry food in the morning, wet in the evening. And make sure you drive through and make sure the sprinkler systems are working! You know we've been having some trouble in the outer fields; I left the number of a good plumber on the fridge. Don't hesitate to call us if anything at all happens!"

Anika couldn't help but release a giggle at her mother's fretting ways. "Have a safe flight!" she called after the cab as it left. "I love you!"

For a few moments longer, the young woman watched her parents disappear in the rain. Then, whistling to her canine companion, she headed back to the red pick-up truck she had driven out in. Anika hopped into the driver's seat before reaching down and lifting Velma into the seat next to her. The Herdier settled onto her stomach and rested her head on Anika's lap as she turned the keys in the ignition, starting the car and backing out of her spot. She navigated the truck under a large wooden sign that hung over a dirt road. Brightly colored flowers were painted on the sides, and vines curled through the fancy, cursive writing adorning the arch.

_Heartlily Farm._

* * *

Anika rose with the sun that morning, as always. Work usually started early on a farm, and, during the busiest parts of the year, it could last late into the night.

Thankfully, now was hardly the busy season. All the crops were already planted, and it would probably be a few weeks before anything was ready for harvest. Still, Anika enjoyed the peace and quiet of the mornings, the stillness before dawn that preceded the hustle and bustle of the day.

That was how Anika found herself frying bacon and scrambling eggs as the morning light began to creep in through the windows. The television was on and the volume low, its flashing lights playing across the walls of the adjacent room, still in shadow.

Anika brought her plate in front of the couch, only half-watching the battle showing on the screen of a white-haired man with a Dusknoir facing off against a redheaded girl with a Flareon. Velma clambered out of a plush bed in the corner once she inhaled the mouth-watering aroma of bacon, and Anika snuck her a piece from her plate (who could resist those pleading eyes?).

There would be very little work to do on the farm today. On a normal day, she would have had to turn on the sprinklers in each of the fields, and later return to turn them off. However, it had rained all of yesterday, and the water had probably not evaporated out of the ground yet, especially since the sun was still hidden behind a thick cloud cover. No, Anika wasn't worried about the plants not getting enough water, but _too_ much. After all, this was summer, and, as such, they had planted crops that were used to dry, hot weather. It was entirely possible that the unseasonal rains of the past week or so had drowned some of the plants.

So, as Anika washed her dishes and placed them in the drying rack, she decided to drive the truck through the fields to check on the plants. It wouldn't be all work - though the sky was overcast, the temperature was perfect! She could bring a lawn chair and a book and read in one of the more secluded fields. That would be nice…

She whistled for Velma to come as she tugged her black boots on and tucked her jeans inside - wouldn't do for them to get dirty. The Herdier leaped out the door as soon as it swung open and raced for the pick-up truck parked out front. Anika laughed at the energetic canine's antics.

Thankfully, it seemed that despite the week of rains, most of the plants were more or less unharmed. There were a few Oran plants directly at the base of a hill that were completely waterlogged and probably drowned, but a few plants would not make too much of a difference come harvest season - after all, at around 5,000 acres, Heartlily Farm was one of the largest farms in the region. Still, Anika checked the drainage pipes in each field just in case. Most were unclogged, though she had to get out of the truck once to unclog one.

Finally, Anika reached the last field of the farm, which was made up of corn. The plants had grown tall, taller than Anika herself, and she could see the beginnings of the grain growing between the leaves on some of the plants. This would be as good a place as ever to rest - there were spaces between the rows of corn, and reading in the middle of the field sounded nice. She grabbed her folded lawn chair and her book, whistling to Velma to jump out of the car before she slammed the door shut and tucking the keys into her pocket. The Herdier raced out into the corn field. Anika let her - Velma was well-trained; she wouldn't wander too far from her.

Anika glanced down at the book tucked under her arm. As of late, she had been having trouble finding good books to read, so she had taken to reading non-fiction. The last fiction book she had read had been about some boy - something-or-other Ketchup, she though his name was - who set out on a journey with a Pikachu to become a great Pokémon trainer. He met a great many people and Pokémon on his journey, and traveled to many different regions, yet still fell short every time he challenged the Pokemon League. In all honesty, it didn't surprise Anika - the boy was incredibly emotional, more likely to scream desperately for his Pokémon to win rather than think through a working battle strategy.

Anika had not enjoyed that particular series of books - it was poorly written, and despite his impractical strategy, or lack thereof, the boy won most of his battles. Still, the books had topped the bestseller list several times, so she kept with the series. The boy eventually won in the Indigo League - though not before returning several times over, all the time seeming to defy the laws of physics and remain ten years old despite a few years passing. He then went and confessed his feelings to a Gym Leader he had met during his journey, despite the fact that she had done nothing but taunt and belittle him throughout their time together. Anika couldn't imagine falling in love with someone like that - if she ever ended up falling in love, it would be with someone who supported and respected cared for her, and who she could support and respect and care for in return, not someone who questioned her every action.

Since then, Anika had given up on the recommendations of the public - and, oh, how her mother teased her for acting elitist! She didn't want to sound snobby; she wanted to find a good book to read! So, since then, she had chosen to educate herself about the world around her instead.

Still, she had found that she missed the fantastical adventures of fiction. Her mother must have noticed since, before she left, she pulled out a box of her old books. Anika had sorted through them and had found several that caught her eyes. The one currently tucked under her arm was entitled _The Hermit_, and was actually part of an ongoing series of books that could be read in any order. This one focused on the tale of a young man who attempted to face the Elite Four and failed to even win his first battle. Distraught, he released all of the Pokémon that he had captured over the years and secluded himself in the mountains, where he lived in a cave among Pokémon. Anika had only started it two days ago, but found she greatly enjoyed the book and could relate well to the protagonist. Currently, he sat under the starry sky, trying to figure out which direction his life was going to go in…

Anika was jolted out of her reverie by a sudden bout of barking from Velma somewhere to ahead and to her left. A jolt of fear went through her. What if someone had hopped the fences around the farm? Who knew what they wanted? Suddenly, Anika realized she was probably the only human around for miles. There would be no one around to hear her scream…

Wait, why was she afraid? Why would anyone want to sneak onto the farm? It wasn't like there was anything worth stealing here. Velma had probably found a wild Bidoof or Starly, or maybe one of the on-call farm workers had come into the fields today for some reason and had startled the Herdier. To be afraid was completely irrational.

Actually, now that she took stock of her emotions, she wasn't particularly afraid, yet she _felt_ fear. If anyone had ever said that to her, she would have been confused. But, to her, in that moment, it made perfect sense. Pushing away that feeling of fear, she headed toward where she had heard Velma.

It appeared that some of the corn in this area had drowned - the stalks were flattened to the ground and already yellowing and decomposing, despite the fact that the sun was still behind the clouds. The drowned plants, however, were not what caught Anika's attention.

In the middle of the flattened crops lay a Pokémon Anika had never seen before. Its body was shaped rather like that of a Vulpix's or a Fennekin's, yet with only one tail and smaller ears. Behind those ears were what appeared to be wilted flowers, and when the creature turned to face her, she could see it had bright, blue eyes, and what appeared to be folded wings, tucked close to its sides. It was impossible to tell the color of its fur, since it was covered in mud and grime.

The Pokémon struggled to its paws and bared its teeth at Anika and Velma. Anika felt that feeling of fear return, and Velma growled back at the strange Pokémon. Slowly, shakily, it backed up into the standing corn and before turning tail and running.

_What in the world was that?_

The thought consumed her for the entire drive home. Anika had never even heard of a Pokémon that looked like that, and she liked to think she knew quite a bit about Pokémon. As soon as she got home, she pulled out _The Pokemon Encyclopedia_ and searched for it. No mention of the strange Pokémon. Maybe it was a new species that wasn't in the encyclopedias yet? Anika booted up the old desktop PC in the house and searched for Pokémon with matching descriptions. An old legend about a lucky Pokémon that used to appear on farms piqued Anika's interest, but only one website mentioned it, and Anika needed facts, not stories.

That could only mean one thing: It was a type of Pokémon that had never been seen before, or one that was seen so rarely that only stories remained.

That one conclusion left Anika with one option: Learn everything she could about it. She pulled out a notebook and a pencil from a drawer in the kitchen, sat down at the table, and began to write.

_Documentations of the Mysterious Pokemon_

_By Anika Heartlily_

_Pokemon: Unknown/Unnamed_

_Encountered a strange Pokémon in the corn field today. Ran on sight, seems to be weakened, maybe v. shy as well. Possible malnutrition, possible fights w/other wild Pokémon. Will bring Oran Berries to same spot tomorrow in an attempt to coax it out._

_Desc: Fox-like, a little over 1 ft. in height. Blue eyes. Wilted flowers behind ears. Seems to have wings. Color impossible to tell through grime on fur. Possible typings: FLY, GRASS, POIS._

After a moment's thought, she added a few more lines.

_Conjecture: The Pokémon can transmit its emotions into the minds of those nearby. May be some sort of defense mechanism; though workings behind it unknown. Possible typing: PSY._

With that, Anika closed the notebook. Any more observations would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Unfortunately, the next day of observations was unsuccessful. She brought a pair of bowls and filled one with Oran Berries and the other with water and placed both inside the clearing of flattened corn. Then, she sat for nearly two hours on the edge of the clearing, trying to sketch a picture of the Pokémon into her notebook, though she was mostly unsuccessful. It wasn't that she was a bad artist; it was just that she wasn't a particularly _good_ artist either. Finally, she gave up - both on waiting for the Pokémon and drawing the pictures. She would leave the berries and water out overnight, in case the Pokémon decided to return, but would return with more in the morning.

When she returned the next morning, the water bowl was completely dry, and the berries were gone. Anika smiled. Maybe, if she could gain this creature's trust, it would be willing to come out in the open. Again, she left Oran Berries and water in the bowls and left.

However, when she returned the next day, both bowls were still full. How strange. Perhaps the food and water from the first day had re-energized it and allowed it to return to the wild.

The thought disappointed her. She had hoped to be able to catch another glimpse of the strange Pokémon, but if it left, and if it was as rare as she thought it was, she would probably never seen it again. Still, she replaced the food and water, just in case.

Three days went by. No sight of the mysterious Pokémon, and the bowls remained full. Anika was beginning to think she had just imagined the creature.

Then, in the evening of the third day, Anika returned home to find it unconscious in front of her house, its chin resting on the front step.

Anika rushed inside and called the Pokemon Center in Solaceon. Thankfully, there were two nurses on duty at the time, and one agreed to drive out to the farm. She hung up with instructions to draw a lukewarm bath, clean the Pokémon, and look for any injuries.

So Anika carefully picked up the unconscious Pokémon and, surprised at how light it was, carried it inside. She filled the bathtub with a few inches of water and began to sponge the muck off the Pokémon. Anika watched in wonder as its fur and feathers turned from brown to gray to a pure white. Now that they weren't glued to its body by mud, Anika could see that it had feathers growing from its ankles and haunches as well as on its wings. A gold-colored ring of fur wrapped around each of its legs, and the end of its tail was gold as well, before it darkened to black. The toes of its paws, the tips of its ears, and its nose were also black. She would have to remember to add coloration to her notebook later.

After what seemed like forever but was probably only about twenty minutes, Anika heard the knock on the door she was waiting for.

She had to hand it to her, though Nurse Joy often seemed kind and friendly and bubbly - not that she wasn't - she could get down to business when she needed to. She checked the Pokémon's heartbeat, felt for broken bones, and searched for signs of some sort of status condition, all while firing question after question at Anika.

The Pokémon woke up at some point during Nurse Joy's checkup. For a moment, its bleary blue eyes opened, trying and failing to focus on something in the room. Anika felt a wave of lethargy role over her, so strong she had to grab onto the countertop of the kitchen to keep herself standing. The Pokémon then slipped back into unconsciousness, and the exhaustion slowly faded.

Anika took a moment to mentally congratulate herself. It seemed that her theory about the Pokémon being able to transmit emotions was correct.

Then, Nurse Joy turned to her with a worried look on her face. "My dear, are you quiet all right?"

"Oh! Um, yes," Anika replied. "Didn't you…"

Yet Nurse Joy showed no sign of having experienced the sudden wave of fatigue. Then what had just happened?

Knowing how strange her question would have sounded - _Nurse Joy, did you suddenly feel exhaustion without actually being tired?_ - she quickly changed what she was going to say. "Have you ever seen a Pokémon like this one before? I've never seen anything like it."

"Her."

"Huh?" she replied eloquently.

"Her. It's female," she corrected, "and no, I've never seen anything like her before in my life. Perhaps it's a new type? They seem to be opening up a lot of new regions lately to the outside world. Maybe she jumped on a ship or airplane and ended up here."

"Maybe," Anika agreed, though she doubted that. If that was true, she would have seen something online. "Do you know what's wrong with her? Can you help her?"

Nurse Joy only shook her head. "She seems to be very weak, probably from lack of food. Under normal circumstances, I'd feed her intravenously or give her a shot to wake her up, but neither seems like a good idea at the moment. Anything that would wake her up probably has some sort of adrenaline in it, and, since you said she's a wild Pokémon, she might panic and attack when she wakes up."

"So that's out of the question," Anika nodded. "What about the IV?"

"Take a look at the flowers on her ears."

Anika approached the Pokémon and inspected them. They were a faded, browning pink, the petals wilting and folding in on themselves. Behind the petals grew green stems, almost thick enough to be vines, which disappeared into her fur and anchored them to her skull. "What about them?"

"It's possible the flowers are connected to her nervous or circulatory system. I was thinking that, perhaps, much of the inside of her body is made up of vines, and that they carry the nutrients in her body instead of blood cells. I'm not sure how an IV would affect that system."

"What would you suggest, then?" Anika asked as Nurse Joy packed her bag and headed for the door.

"Make her comfortable and keep her warm. Try to get her to eat and drink something as soon as she wakes up."

Anika picked the Pokémon up and rested it in in Velma's bed, much to the Herdier's chagrin. She gave a disgruntled yap, until Anika fed her a treat and promised to let her sleep in her bed until the Pokémon was better. She tucked a blanket around the Pokémon and she wished Nurse Joy a safe drive back, and then grabbed her notebook from on top of the counter to write down everything she had learned today.

What had happened with that wave of fatigue earlier? She was _sure_ it had come from the Pokémon, but if it had, why hadn't Nurse Joy noticed anything?

Maybe…Maybe Anika could feel Pokémon emotions?

Anika focused very hard on Velma, who lay next to her on top of the covers. "Velma, do you want a treat?"

Immediately, the Pokémon's head shot up, her ears pricked and her tail wagging. Anika could tell she was excited at the thought. Still, she didn't _feel_ her excitement.

Anika laughed at her silly theory as she reached for a treat that was in a bowl next to the bed. She had heard about people being able to talk to Pokémon, but being able to feel their emotions? How ridiculous! Besides, she would have noticed something like that before now.

Anika yawned. It was starting to get late, and the excitement of the day was getting to her. _I'll just close my eyes for a moment…_

* * *

When Anika woke once more, gray light streamed through the window. She had slept later than usual that day, but it was still pretty early. The sky was still overcast, though the cloud cover seemed to be fading. The sun would return soon enough.

Anika was considering making pancakes as she walked toward the kitchen before she heard a low growl, and that _feeling_ of fear washed over her. She froze in her steps, and her head slowly turned toward where the Pokémon was supposed to be sleeping.

It wasn't sleeping anymore. Instead, she stood in the center of the living room, her fur puffed up and teeth bared. Suddenly, she was very aware of the fact that she was in her pajamas, which consisted of a tank top and, more importantly, shorts. If the Pokémon decided to attack her legs, she wouldn't even have a layer of clothing to protect her.

Then, Anika saw the slight quiver in the Pokémon's legs. She reminded herself that this was a wild Pokémon in an unfamiliar place; of course it would act aggressively in self-defense. Taking stock of the _feelings_ which she took to be the Pokémon's emotions, she could feel the fear and confusion that she expected, but no actual desire to attack unprovoked.

Now that she thought about it, maybe she could feel the Pokémon's emotions because they were on the same wavelength or something. The thought seemed ridiculous, but when one has eliminated the impossible, whatever remained, no matter how improbably, must be the truth. If she felt the Pokémon's fear, then it could probably feel hers. The two of them would become more and more scared as the other's fear had an amplifying effect on their own, until one or both panicked and did something stupid.

Instead, Anika focused her mind on calming thoughts as she walked gingerly toward the kitchen, careful not to make any sudden moves that would set the Pokémon off. Mountains covered in snow, still lakes like glass, reading on a beach, _raindrops on roses and whiskers on Skit-tens…_

Once in the kitchen, she filled one bowl with fresh berries - better to give her the direct effect of berries rather than the processed version of Pokémon food - and another with water. She set them on the ground near the countertop, and then focused on gathering the ingredients for pancakes, one eye on the door.

After a few minutes, the Pokémon stepped into the kitchen, though she froze in the doorway when she saw Anika stirring her pancake batter. However, after a moment of consideration, she seemed to judge that the food and water was far enough away from Anika to be safe. She crept into the kitchen; her eyes glued to Anika the entire time, and picked up a berry from the bowl.

Just as the Pokémon watched Anika as she ate, Anika watched the Pokémon as she flipped her pancakes. Even though she was probably starving, each bite was dainty and delicate, almost as if she didn't want to mess up her fur after taking a bath or appear rude. She also felt the Pokémon's change in emotions - fear slowly deteriorated into wariness, which eventually became watchful, careful curiosity. All of those emotions, however, were almost overshadowed by exhaustion. Anika frowned at this. The food should be helping the Pokémon's exhaustion! Though it definitely felt less tired than it had the night before, its weariness still made Anika want to lay down and take a nap.

The flutter of wings and the click of claws on tile made Anika turn around just as the Pokémon landed on the countertop. A flash of annoyance went through her. She wasn't supposed to be up there!

However, the Pokémon didn't react to her frustration. Instead, she curled up on the countertop, yawned, buried her nose in her fluffy tail, and promptly fell asleep.

_So much for my wavelength theory_, Anika thought.

As much as Anika wanted to stay and watch the Pokémon all day, she had to turn the sprinklers on around the farm. Hopefully, the Pokémon wouldn't get into too much trouble. Well, it was exhausted. How bad could it be?

* * *

The last of the clouds finally cleared away shortly before midday, and Anika smiled as the sun finally showed its face again after almost two weeks. Maybe, after she was done with work, she would sit out on the porch and read - after all, the last time she had decided to sit outside and read had turned out so eventful!

When she returned later that afternoon, she was greeted by the sight of the strange Pokémon laying out on the porch, enjoying the sunshine. _How did she get outside…?_

As she walked closer, Anika could see that the flowers behind the Pokémon's ears were no longer wilted, but full and pink once more, with no traces of wrinkles or yellowing.

_Photosynthesis…? She's photosynthetic!_ Suddenly, the mystery of why the Pokémon wasn't getting any better was solved. She got her energy from the sun, and it hadn't been sunny for almost two weeks. She could probably survive off of other foods, but not as well as the sunlight, which was why she was still so exhausted even after eating.

Stepping around the fox-like Pokémon, she went inside and grabbed her book, her notebook, and a pencil, before returning outside and settling herself into the rocking chair on the porch. For a moment, the Pokémon looked up a studied her. It was still watchful of her, but it was no longer afraid, and most of the exhaustion was gone. Instead, the fatigue was replaced with calm contentment.

Anika scrawled out her notes of the day into the journal - by now, she was almost positive it was a Grass/Flying type, though she couldn't discount the Psychic type just yet. Then, she set down her notebook and opened up _The Hermit_. She hadn't got any reading done since she had met the strange Pokémon.

The Pokémon stood from her spot, stretched, and carefully approached Anika. She looked down at the notebook at her paws.

"It's about you," Anika told her once she figured out what she was looking at. "_Documentations of the Mysterious Pokemon, by Anika Heartlily_. That's me."

_Anika._

Anika nearly jumped out of her seat when the name resounded through her head. It could talk!

_Anika._

"Y-yes?" Maybe it had some sort of telepathy - not just emotional telepathy, but with words as well.

_Anika._ For a moment, the creature just looked at her, not saying anything, her emotions quiet. Then, gratitude came radiating out of her and into Anika's mind, like the sun had radiated out of the clouds onto the earth just a few hours ago. Though no words were said - it didn't seem to know any words beside Anika's name, which made it even more surprising that she recognized "Anika" as being her name - the meaning was clear.

Anika smiled down at the Pokémon, who curled herself up at her feet. "You're welcome," She murmured.

* * *

When Anika woke up the next morning, she had a plan in mind. As she made breakfast that morning - an omelet - she talked to the Pokémon when she walked into the kitchen. Anika usually wasn't much of a talker - she preferred listening to speaking, but was too shy to make many friends anyways.

Still, this was for science. She had woken up in the middle of the night, thinking that maybe the Pokémon didn't have much experience with humans. Perhaps she could speak, yet didn't know the language. Maybe, if Anika talked enough, it would start to speak back to her.

So Anika talked and talked and talked. She spoke about anything and everything, and the Pokémon listened, though whether she understood or not, Anika wasn't sure. She told her about her parents, and her life growing up on the farm. She talked about her elder brother, and how he was never very good at school, and how Anika would stay up at night and help him with his homework. She talked about the years she had taken ballet classes, and the boy that was in her class that she had a crush on who had rejected her. She invited her to ride with her while she turned on the sprinklers and told her everything she knew about farming.

By the end of the day, Anika was sick of talking and was losing her voice. She sucked on a cough drop as she inspected the Pokémon in front of her. She had spoken all day, and yet the Pokémon had never replied back. She thought she understood her - or, at least, some of what she said, since her emotions reacted accordingly to some of the stories she had told. However, not a peep came from the Pokémon's mind - not even Anika's name. Anika was beginning to think she was going crazy - for goodness sake, she had been talking to a _Pokémon_ all day. If she were anyone else, she would have thought she was crazy.

Yet, when she sat down on the couch and opened up her book, the Pokémon jumped onto the couch as well and crawled into her lap - a gesture of affection and trust the Pokémon had yet to show her - and looked up at her with her emotions reading _patience_ and _expectation_, Anika couldn't help but try one more time. She began to read aloud from her book, her voice rough from overuse:

"Jaden stared up at the starry sky above him. Where would he go from here? The moment that he was defeated, he had failed his Pokémon, failed every hope and dream they had ever had. There was nothing left for him now. Nothing at all.

No. Such morbid thoughts would not help him now. Instead, he focused on something happier - he would face his problems in the morning light, when life wouldn't feel as dark and hopeless. Instead, he remembered his father setting up a telescope in the backyard, teaching his son about constellations and the stars. Jaden began to name the stars he recognized - anything to keep his mind off his loss. There was Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, sitting in Canis Major, right near Canis Minor and Orion. Altair was also recognizable in Aquila, the eagle. Polaris, the North Star, shone bright as always. Vega sat in Lyra, the-"

_Vega._

Yes! She knew she could speak! Trying not to appear surprised, Anika looked down at the Pokémon. "What?"

The Pokémon blinked her big, blue eyes at her. _Call me Vega_.

* * *

"Why didn't you speak to me earlier? I was beginning to think I was going insane, talking to you like that," Anika asked Vega a couple days later as she ate dinner

Vega shuffled her paws a bit, and Anika was slightly surprised that her white fur didn't turn red from all the embarrassment radiating off of her. _I didn't have a very good grasp of your language,_ she told her. _I didn't want to mess up._

Anika nodded. She could understand the feeling of being less than perfect - and she _hated_ it. It felt like she had let everyone down, especially herself. "I don't suppose you can tell me where you come from or what species of Pokémon you are?"

_Species…? I don't know that word_.

"It's like…a group of Pokémon that are similar in appearance. For example, Velma," she indicated the Herdier laying in her dog bed, "is a Herdier."

_Oh! I see. No, my memory before arriving on this farm is rather hazy. Even so, I'm sure I've never met another Pokémon like myself before, and even if I had, I wouldn't know the word for our kind,_ Vega told her

"I see," Anika replied.

The television returned from its commercial break, going back to a battle between a dark-haired trainer with an Escavalier and a blond with a Pelipper.

_Anika, you seem really interested in these battles_, Vega commented.

"Well…yes," Anika responded. "They're some of the ultimate strategic games. However, they also create an opportunity to bond with Pokémon, even more closely than by just raising them. There are competitions and tournaments to see who the best trainer is and, in each region, there's a group of incredibly powerful trainers. First, there are the Gym Leaders, and there are eight of them, each specializing in a specific type of Pokémon. Then, there are the Elite Four, who you can only fight after defeating each of the Gym Leaders and obtaining a badge. Finally, there is a Champion, a supremely powerful trainer who managed to defeat all of the Gyms, the Elite Four, and the previous Champion. If you become the Champion, you're widely acknowledged as one of the most powerful trainers in existence."

_Is that why you want to fight in battles as well?_ Vega asked skeptically.

"No," Anika laughed, "that's not it. I'm really interested in Pokémon, especially how they relate to people. I thought I knew all about every type of Pokémon, but then you came along. I guess there are mysteries in the world that you can't solve through books. Anyways, battles are good ways to see new Pokémon and how they relate to their trainers. That's what really interests me. Though, uh, I've fought in a couple of battles. I'm not very good…" she trailed off.

Vega was silent for a few moments before speaking. _How old are you, Anika?_

"I'll be eighteen in a couple of weeks," she replied.

_And you said your brother is on a journey right now?_

"That is correct."

_How old is he?_

"He's twenty-five right now, but he's been coming and going on his journey since he was fifteen or sixteen."

_You said that most children leave on a journey with Pokémon when they turn ten._

"Yes, well, Griff wanted to stick around and help out on the farm, but he eventually wanted to adventure himself."

_I wasn't talking about him_, Vega murmured. _I was asking about you_.

"M-me?" Anika laughed. "I'm not really the adventuring type. I wouldn't be very good at it. I'm not particularly brave -"

_But you're not faint-of-heart, _Vega interrupted. _Thinking through your actions before going charging into danger doesn't make you a coward. It makes you intelligent._

Anika blushed under her praise. "Someone needs to take care of the farm. Besides, you need to be able to talk to people easily when you're off adventuring. I'm shy, and other people don't like me very much."

_What makes you think other people don't like you very much? _I_ like you._

"They just don't," Anika replied, turning her green eyes to Vega. "You're a Pokémon, you don't count."

_Excuse me?!_

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" Anika held up her hands defensively. "I just meant that you _have_ to like me."

_Anika Heartlily, I don't have to like anyone I don't _want_ to like, even if they saved my life_.

Anika turned back to the battle on the television, tugging on a strand of her waist-length hair that fell over her shoulder. "I just…it's not for me."

Vega's tone gentled. _Anika, I don't know what's holding you back, and I can't make your choices for you. However, I can tell you this: You can read about adventures in your books. You can watch battles on television. You can look up theses of up-and-coming scientists. But none of it will make any difference, none of them will make you feel the things you would feel _unless you leave this place and experience it for yourself_. You may be afraid - of leaving home, of meeting new people, of failing, maybe even of succeeding - but part of going on a journey is overcoming your fears and growing as a person. It's like you said: there are some mysteries in the world you can't solve by reading a book. You have to go out and immerse yourself in it._

Vega fell silent, yet Anika didn't reply. Her eyes were focused on the screen.

Vega sighed before curling up next to Anika. _Well, it's like I said, I can't make your decisions for you. But, please, before you set your mind against it, ask yourself: Will you always be content with just reading books? Will there ever come a day when you regret that you didn't leave to explore the world, instead of just imagining about it?_

With that, Vega closed her eyes and waited.

When Anika suddenly shifted several moments later, she looked up. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and her face resting on her knees. "I wouldn't even know where to start. I wouldn't even know where to _go_."

_What about…there?_

As if the television had heard their conversation, a commercial popped up on the screen. A woman with a bobbed haircut spoke on screen, smiling with impossibly white teeth.

" - just celebrated its Novus Feast, one of the largest festivals of the year, celebrating the country's rich history and mythology. Even if the feast is over, come join us! Visit the volcanic Furnex City, which worships volcanic eruptions! See the sparkling blue glaciers of Crystio City! Try to reach Rex Castle, the mysterious seat of kings and queens of old!"

_What is it?_ Vega asked.

Anika listened to the rest of the commercial. "It's called the Novus Region. It's one of the regions that they opened up a year or two ago to outsiders, but it's gotten a lot of popularity recently because they started advertising the Novus Feast."

Vega watched her with an air of smug expectation.

Anika laughed at her. "All right, all right! I'll talk to my parents once they get home."

_Excellent. I shall be accompanying you._

"Huh? I…I though you would be returning to the wild."

_Well, if you don't _want _me along…_

"No, no, no! I didn't mean it like that! I just…I never thought you would go with me."

_To be honest, part of it is that I have nowhere else to go. I don't even know if I have a home. In any case, you saved my life, and you are my friend. I could never let you do this alone._

Anika smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

A month later, Anika and Vega were on their way to the Novus Region.

The adventure had begun.

* * *

**_~Amerath's Destiny~_**

**_(Also known as AD)_**


	3. Chapter 2

**LD: Hey guys! So it's my turn to update and my OC's debut will basically make up this chapter. Anyways, the spot for Leo is still open and Amerath's Destiny and I would be very grateful if someone will just check it out. So please look at it when you have the time. The link to her forum is on my profile so you can just use that to get to OC Submission forum.**

**Disclaimer****: Amerath's Destiny and I do not own Pokemon at all in any way! Since it's her idea, she owns the plot and her OC's, just like I own my OC's. We also do not own any of the other OC's; they belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

**_~Chapter 2~_**

* * *

The entire bakery was filled with people, and the phones were constantly ringing. The people inside filled the building with noise as they tried to shout over one another, attempting to earn the attention of the brunette at the cash register. All at once, they gave her orders of what they wanted. One person wanted a loaf of Italian bread, another one wanted a dozen croissants, one lady needed an order of five dozen cupcakes baked and ready in a week, one man needed a dozen bagels, another woman wanted to ask a few questions about catering, and another man wanted two chocolate éclairs. The brunette was easily distracted by all the talking, and it was difficult for her to concentrate on one person at a time. "Okay, wait - That's a dozen cupcakes, five dozen bagels, two loaves of bread and an éclair... right?" The room quieted as she began speaking.

The noise returned just as quickly as each person began correcting her, while others began handing her their money all at once. As quickly as she could, the brunette tried to hand back the receipts to the right person. She sighed in frustration and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand, closing her eyes and taking a moment to calm down.

However it was less than a moment before the door behind her opened. "Elizabeth?" an elderly, silver-haired woman called to the young brunette, who was still busy working the counter and cash register.

"Yes, Granny?" The brunette, Elizabeth, replied as she accepted the money from a lady who purchased a loaf of bread.

"Can you get me some more fondant from the back?" She asked as Elizabeth opened the cash register and placed the money she had just received inside.

"Sure. It's in the freezer, right?" Elizabeth asked as she closed the cash register. She moved away from counter and walked toward the back room.

"Yes, but it's in the tub with a plastic bag inside," Granny replied.

"I know where it is," Elizabeth said.

She walked past a silver-haired man who was busy placing fresh loaves of bread up on display. "Hey, Grandpa, can you take over register duty for me?" Elizabeth asked. "I have to get something for Granny in the back."

The elderly man nodded and placed the last loaf onto the display before walking toward the counter. "Thanks a lot, Grandpa!" Elizabeth shouted as she opened up the door leading to the freezer.

She stepped into the freezer and shivered as the cold air hit her. Still, it's not like she had expected it to be warm in there, anyways. After a bit of searching, she came across the tub on the third top shelf on the fifth storage shelf and dug out the plastic bag placed inside. Elizabeth closed the tub back up again and she picked it up. She turned on heel and walked out of the freezer, kicking the door shut behind her.

She walked past the counter and pushed the door to the kitchen open. The room was in chaos, but it was fairly clean. Granny and several other workers were busy working on a cake. Granny was busy showing a new employee how to make something with gumpaste, and it seemed as though the employee understood, as the final product turned out perfectly.

"Um, Granny?" Elizabeth called, trying to get her grandmother's attention.

Granny looked up from the new employee's work and glanced at Elizabeth. She nodded her head and walks over. "Is that the fondant?" Granny asked.

"Yeah, this is it," Elizabeth nodded. "What's it for?"

"Marjie dented the wedding cake with her fingers when she was stacking the tiers, so now we have to cover the dent with fondant. Then, we have to add more Lotus flowers to help cover it up more," Granny explained.

The old woman sighed as the phone began to ring. "Can you get that?" She asked. "Then come back in here and help me when you're done."

Elizabeth nodded and walked out of the kitchen and around the corner to answer the phone. "Sweet City Bakery, how many help you?" she answered politely.

The caller quickly launched into a five-minute conversation as Elizabeth wrote the details of it down on a notepad with a black pen. The ink was a bit faint, so Elizabeth shook it a few times and scribbled circles on a clean page. The ink began to flow again.

"Alright, ma'am, I'll see what we can do." Elizabeth said when the woman stopped talking. "But, I really can't guarantee that we'll be able to change the cake style in that amount of time. Two-thirds of the original is already done and I'm not sure we can afford to-"

The woman on the line quickly cut Elizabeth off.

"I understand, ma'am, but I'm just saying that there's no way we can-"

The woman cut her off again.

"Yes, ma'am, I get it," Elizabeth rolled her eyes and suppressed the urge to sigh. "We'll change the cake style."

The woman on the line hung up, as did Elizabeth. She walked back into the kitchen and sighed deeply.

"Who was it?" Granny asked the moment Elizabeth stepped foot in the kitchen.

"It was the bride-to-be." Elizabeth replied.

"What did she want?" Granny asked, looking up from the dent on the cake as she slowly smoothed fondant on it with a fondant smoother.

"She wants to change the style of the cake," She replied.

All the employees looked up from their stations with wide eyes and slack jaws, staring at Elizabeth in disbelief.

"She wants us to change the style of her cake?" Granny asked uncertainly.

"That's what she said," Elizabeth replied, beginning to read from her notepad. "The new cake is an ivory, eight-tiered, square cake with edible twenty-four karat gold details and white chocolate curls. She wants to keep the Lotus flowers but she wants to add pink rose petals enrobed in sparkle dust. The cake needs jewel accents, white luster dust, and sugar pearls and she wants to change the cake from yellow to Angel Food with a French vanilla and white chocolate mousse filling and real buttercream icing. And it has to be _super_ moist."

The employees were still staring at Elizabeth with huge eyes and incredulous looks. "She wants us to get all that done in three days?" one employee muttered. "Is she insane or something?"

"That's not possible; she must be taking too much medication if she thinks we can get another cake made by her wedding day," another one agreed with the other employee's comment.

"That lady has been nothing but a thorn in my side since she first stepped foot inside this bakery," Granny sighed in frustration. "I'll deal with her later; right now we have to start working on the new cake. Someone, please, get rid of this one; I can't even look at it anymore."

As if on cue, two men strode up and wheeled the old cake away. They came back with another cart and fresh supplies for the new cake. Granny gave out instructions and assigned people to various stations. "Elizabeth, can you take care of the fondant and the gumpaste details?" Granny asked.

"Sure, so what needs to be made from fondant?" Elizabeth nodded as Granny began to set up her station.

"I need you to make at least two dozen Lotus flowers from fondant and about forty, forty-five gumpaste rose petals," Granny explained. "After that, brush the petals with petal duster and sparkle dust along with the Lotus flowers. Then you have to make two hundred pearls, which will be made from gumpaste, which will be brushed over with luster and pearl dust."

"So how do I make the pearls and the Lotus flowers?" Elizabeth asked.

Granny moved closer to Elizabeth and began relaying instructions as Elizabeth carefully followed, listening and concentrating on making the first Lotus flower.

* * *

"Alright, guys, time to pack it up," Granny sighed tiredly at the end of a long, frustrating day, wiping the sweat off her flour-covered forehead with the back off her head. "We can finish this tomorrow. We'll just close the bakery so we won't have to worry about any distractions from the other customers."

The employees groaned with an equal amount of tiredness and relief and began to hang up their aprons. They cleaned their stations and packed up before leaving, one by one.

"Elizabeth, where's the number you got from that lady today?" Granny asked as Elizabeth swept the bare wooden floor with an old broom.

"Huh?" Elizabeth asked as she gathered up the dirt into a dustpan. "What lady?"

"You know, the lady who asked about out catering service?" Granny said.

"Oh! It's on the counter by the phone. Check the notepad," Elizabeth replied. "She's another bride-to-be, but she's nicer than the other one. She wanted to know if we can do her wedding cake and provide an assortment of pastries. So I recommended lobster tails with a French cream filling, but she says that she wants to see all the pastries we have before she makes a decision."

"When does she need this all by?" Granny raised an eyebrow.

"By next week Friday - that's her wedding date," She said. "She said it's nothing fancy, whatever she orders should be really simple and easy-to-make."

"Well, that's good enough for us," Granny laughed.

* * *

The door unlocked from the outside and it swung open. Elizabeth walked into the house with her grandparents in tow, wiping her shoes on the doormat. "Lizzy, do you mind watering the roses for me?" Granny asked as she headed into the kitchen.

"Alright," Elizabeth sighed.

"The hose should be in the garden shed," Granny added as Elizabeth walked through the living room.

"Can I turn on the radio?" Elizabeth asked as she walked towards a screen-covered door and pushed it open. She opened the second door behind it and stepped outside.

"Of course, but as long as you don't put it up so loud," Granny replied. "Remember, our neighbors aren't into the type of music your generation listens to."

"I know, I know," Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

Elizabeth closed the door behind her and walked down the patio steps. She turned left and continued to walk until she saw a little wooden house. Elizabeth unlocked the door with a copper key and turned the knob, pushing the door open and walking in. She spotted the garden hose on one of the shelves and grabbed it before heading back outside. She closed the door, making sure it was locked, before connecting the house to a water valve that was attached to her grandparents' house. She paused for a moment before turning on the radio sitting on the table. "If I'm gonna water plants, I might as well listen to something to keep me from getting bored," she muttered to herself.

She walked back to the hose and turned the valve with her left hand. But, before she could start watering the flowerbed of roses, a glint in her grandmother's white roses caught her eye. Elizabeth knelt down by the patch of flower, dropped the hose, and gently parted the roses.

A strange, sharp object near was one of the roses, but it's not a thorn. Elizabeth wrapped her hands around her and gave it hard tug. A squeal pierces the air, and the object gave a tiny jump that caused most of the roses in the flowerbed to shake. Elizabeth retracted her hand, but just as quickly extended it back out and to pull on the sharp object again. She pulled it out and whatever-it-was leaped out of the flower bed and crash landed in front of her.

Elizabeth looked up at it while it shook its head. It appeared to be some sort of Pokémon, rather resembling a sea serpent. The Pokémon was much taller than her - its shadow covered her entire body. It was colored a pale blue, with a royal blue belly. Curled, golden patterns decorated its body, and there was a small, shiny, sharp horn on its forehead. It had a gold, collar-like structure that wrapped around the chest and shoulders, with a weird looking gem in the middle. Its tail was covered with gold and sapphire blue scales with striations of ivory. It had, what seemed like, two sapphires on the end below the tip, and four large scales, sapphire blue with gold spots in the middle, fanning out from the bottom.

The Pokémon opened its small, glossy, sapphire blue eyes and they look down upon Elizabeth. "You again?" Elizabeth scoffed. "I thought I told you to scram a long time ago. If my grandmother saw you in her flower bed, she would've freaked out."

The Pokémon tilted its head, fluttering the small, white, feathery wings on the sides of its head, in reply. Two small flowers resembling orchids were near both wings. The strange creature had taken to napping in their flowerbeds for the past month or so, and, despite Elizabeth's best attempts to shoo it away, it continued to return.

Its face appeared flushed, and its body glistened with beads of sweat. Elizabeth stared at the Pokémon in confusion, not understanding what was happening. "Is something wrong?" She asked. "Are you hurt?"

The Pokémon didn't do anything except let out a raspy, hoarse cough. Its eyes blinked heavily once, then twice. It blinked a third time before its eyes slid shut. Its body swayed back and forth, and then fell to the ground. Elizabeth let out a small scream as she was nearly crushed by the creature, but managed to leap out of the way just as the creature hit the ground where she was just standing with a loud _thump_. Elizabeth moved a lock of hair behind her ear as she slowly and cautiously approached the Pokémon. "Hey, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked.

It didn't reply, but its slithery body curled up on itself. Elizabeth knelt beside it and placed the back of her right hand on the Pokémon's forehead. She could feel the heat radiating against her hand and she flipped her hand over to the palm. She placed her palm on the Pokémon's forehead, still feeling the heat on that side. Elizabeth stood up, unsure of what to do with a sick Pokémon and how to treat it. "Granny!" Elizabeth shouted, deciding it was her best hope.

She heard something drop and winced, feeling guilty for probably startling or worrying her grandmother, but she couldn't help forgetting her guilt when she focused her attention back on the sick Pokémon.

"What in the world - Elizabeth, what is that thing?"

Elizabeth snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head, when she heard her grandmother's question. "I don't know, but I think it's a Pokémon," Elizabeth replied. "I found it in the flowerbed with the white roses and I think it was trying to cool off in the shade, but it's sick."

"Alright," Granny nodded. "Can you get me an Oran Berry from the tree in the front yard? That should give it some strength until we get to the Pokemon Center."

Elizabeth nodded. She turned on her heel and took off running through the gate.

* * *

A pink-haired woman walked into the waiting room. Elizabeth, who was sitting cross-legged in one of the chairs, lifted her head up. "How is it?" Elizabeth asked, standing up from her seat.

She followed after the woman, walking beside her.

"Relax, Elizabeth, everything's just fine," The woman replied as she and Elizabeth walked out of the door. "The Oran Berry you and grandmother fed it really helped it. All it just needs is some rest."

"Nurse Joy, do you think it's some sort of Pokémon?" Elizabeth murmured as they strode down a hall.

"I suppose so, but it's not a Pokémon I've seen before in my entire life. It must be new," The woman, Nurse Joy, responded. "I tried using a Pokédex, but there wasn't any information available about it contained in the database."

"That is so weird. There's information about every single Pokémon in the entire world on the Pokédex," Elizabeth murmured. "Why hasn't anything shown up for this one?"

"I wish I had an answer for you, but I'm not a Pokemon Professor," Nurse Joy shook her head as they approached the recovery room. "I'm afraid the only way to get your answer is to ask one yourself."

They stopped in front of a gigantic window. Elizabeth turned to look into it. She could see the Pokémon resting on a bed. It was wearing an oxygen mask, which was attached to an oxygen regulator. "Poor thing was suffering from a severe fever, must have been from all the rain we've been getting lately," She sighed.

She turned to face Elizabeth. "So, are you planning to start your Pokémon journey this time?" Nurse Joy asked. "You seemed ready to head out the last time, but something held you back from leaving."

Elizabeth sighed. "I know I should've been on my journey since the day I turned ten, but I get worried every time I leave Granny and Grandpa," she replied. "Ever since Granny broke her hip a few years ago, I've been more paranoid that something bad might happen at home or in the bakery when I'm gone. I just can't stand the feeling I get, so I guess that's what's always holding me back."

"You're almost eighteen, you must dream about wanting to go out into the world and become a Pokémon Trainer," Nurse Joy pointed out.

"I do, but I don't want to be a Trainer," She shrugged. "I'm more into becoming a coordinator. You know, beautiful and graceful but fierce and elegant in battle. But then again, Granny needs me at the bakery."

"I'm sure your grandmother will be fine," Nurse Joy smiled.

"I'm just a bit paranoid, that's all," Elizabeth shrugged.

"I understand," she nodded. "If you'd like, you can go into the recovery room. Just be sure to call me when it wakes up. You can also turn on the TV inside if you get a bit bored."

"Alright, thank you, Nurse Joy," she nodded back.

* * *

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she flipped through channels on the TV in the recovery room, recalling Nurse Joy's words. _You're almost eighteen, you must dream about wanting to go out into the world and become a Pokémon Trainer. _She scoffed. "I wouldn't even know where to start anyways," she muttered. "There are so many different regions. I couldn't even decide which one to go to first."

A commercial popped up on the screen. A woman with a bobbed haircut spoke on screen, smiling with impossibly white teeth. "Who is she?" she asked herself. "I've never seen her before."

Elizabeth stopped channel surfing and watched the commercial silently.

"- just celebrated its Novus Feast, one of the largest festivals of the year, celebrating the country's rich history and mythology. Even if the feast is over, come join us! Visit the volcanic Furnex City, which worships volcanic eruptions! See the sparkling blue glaciers of Crystio City! Try to reach Rex Castle, the mysterious seat of kings and queens of old!"

"So a new region's been discovered, huh?" Elizabeth muttered as something sparked within her.

She sighed, but she was smiling. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "I guess I could always start there," she said. "Maybe it's time I leave for good."

Hearing a yawn, Elizabeth turned back at the strange Pokémon. It stirred, eyes fluttering open. Elizabeth smiled at it. "Glad to see you're finally awake," she said.

_Glad to be awake._

"Pardon?" She blinked in astonishment. "Did you just talk?"

_Yes, _the Pokémon replied.

"Okay, that's weird," She replied. "Pokémon can't talk. That's not normal!"

_You see, there's a thing called telepathy that-_

"I know what telepathy is, thank you very much," Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "So what type of Pokémon are you?

_Type? _The Pokémon tilted its head to one side.

"You know? Property for Pokémon and their moves?" She tried using a different way to explain it. "Like, a Squirtle is obviously a Water type Pokémon. If you don't know your type, then you must know what species you belong to."

_Actually, I don't know my species, _the Pokémon replied.

"Well, do you have a name?" Elizabeth asked.

_If I had a name, don't you think I would've told you by now? _The Pokémon said.

"Oh, well, _excuse_ me. There's no need to be so bitter," she said as she rolled her eyes.

_I'm not being bitter, _the Pokémon argued.

"Yes, you are," Elizabeth said. "If you recall your sentence and take the time to listen to it, you might pick up the bitter tone."

The Pokémon shot her a strange look - was it _smirking_ at her? _A bit sassy, aren't we? _It commented.

"Please, you started this whole thing," she scoffed. "And, FYI, I'm the one that brought you all the way here."

_You're right, I'm sorry, _the Pokémon sighed.

"...I guess I should be apologizing for trying to get you to leave, too… and for pulling on your horn." Elizabeth pointed at the sharp object on the Pokémon's forehead. "But you really have to understand, that thing didn't look right in the flower bed. Of course I was gonna pull it."

The Pokémon laughed. Elizabeth focused her attention back to the TV. The screen featured a girl and her Misdreavus working the stage with a gorgeous appeal. _By the look in your eyes, I guess you're really into Contests? _The Pokémon said.

"Are you kidding me?" Elizabeth gave it an incredulous look. "I love Contests! The appeals are so gorgeous and the Pokémon are so well-trained. It's been my biggest desire to become a Coordinator…"

_But? _It asked.

"How did you know there was gonna be a 'but'?" She raised an eyebrow.

_There's always a 'but' at the end of sentences like those, _the Pokémon replied.

"Good point," Elizabeth sighed. "I'm really not too keen on leaving my grandparents behind. Just the very thought freaks me out. They're getting old and, well, they bite off more than they can chew. They're at this certain point where a single fall down the stairs or a slip on a wet floor can really hurt them. My grandmother already got hurt pretty badly. I really can't stand to think that something even worse might happen."

_I heard you talking about this with that nice nurse-lady. That's why I brought this up, _the Pokémon said.

"You were awake, then?" Elizabeth asked.

_No, but I'm a pretty light sleeper, _it replied.

"Well, I guess that explains it," she laughed.

_So, who was that nurse-lady? _The Pokémon asked.

"That's Nurse Joy - Oh my gosh, Nurse Joy!" Elizabeth gasped. "I was supposed to call her in when you woke up. I better go do that right now before I completely forget."

Elizabeth quickly got up from her seat and ran out the door.

* * *

"Well, everything seems fine, so I guess it's safe to go back home," Nurse Joy chirped after finishing the Pokémon's check-up.

"That's great," Elizabeth smiled.

"Good bye, Elizabeth, and take care," Nurse Joy said as she turned on her heel and walked back inside the Pokémon Center.

Elizabeth and the Pokémon turned and began walking away from the Center. "You know, before you woke up, there was this commercial playing on the TV for some new region," Elizabeth said suddenly, earning the Pokémon's attention. "It's called the Novus Region. By the looks of it, it seems like a totally cool place to start a journey."

_So, no more holding back then? _The Pokémon asked.

"No more holding back," Elizabeth promised. "I also thought of a name for you."

_Really? _The Pokémon blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, I did," Elizabeth replied, keeping her balance as she walked upon the ledge of a fountain.

_So, what's my name? _It asked.

"Well, I always thought Désirée is a pretty name. I think it suits you." Elizabeth jumped off the ledge as she reached the end. "Plus, you sort of remind me of myself. That's the other reason why I thought of it for you."

_I guess it's a nice name_, the Pokémon – now named Désirée - said. _So, now that we've buried the hatchet, are we gonna become a team now? Because, that Novus Region-place is starting to sound better by that minute. The whole Sinnoh-scene is getting a bit old, and I could always use a change of scenery._

"Yeah, I guess we can be partners," Elizabeth nods. "But that means we'll have to work extra hard on contest appeals if we ever want to make into the Grand Festival. That will also give us the opportunity to figure out what moves you have."

_Trust me; with the both of us working together, there's no doubt we'll win the Grand Festival, _Désirée replied.

"So, I guess now I'll have to break it to my grandparents that I'm leaving to head out on my journey," Elizabeth smiled sadly.

_Yeah, but at least it'll be worth it. You'll finally get to travel and see new places, _Désirée said.

"That's true, but I'm still gonna miss this place," she sighed as they approached the gate to her surrogate home.

* * *

"So, when are you leaving?" Granny asked as she sat with Elizabeth and Grandpa at the dinner table.

"I plan to leave in a month," Elizabeth replied. "I want to compete in contests. Nurse Joy already provided me with a Contest Pass to use, as well as some supplies for my journey. She said it's on the house and she wishes me good luck."

"That's nice of her," Granny smiled.

"I know. I made sure to thank her for all she's done," she nodded.

"Why have you decided to leave all of a sudden?" Granny asked.

"I guess it had to do with the fact I'm almost grown up and I still haven't gotten to see the world from a different view." Elizabeth replied. "I mean, it all just started with a commercial advertizing for the Novus Region. Watching that ad, I think something just clicked and I was immediately drawn to it. Knowing that it's still new, I guess it gave me an interest to go and explore it because no one else has yet."

There was a silence after Elizabeth spoke. The "family" of three continued to eat their meal. Halfway into the meal, the silence was broken. "Have you started packing yet?" Grandpa asked.

"I will, after dinner," Elizabeth replied, "but I'm also planning to use whatever time I have left to figure out what moves Désirée has."

"Who's Désirée?" Grandpa raised an eyebrow.

"Désirée's the name of the Pokémon Lizzy found in my garden," Granny explained.

"Oh, right, right." He nodded. "So where is Désirée right now?"

"She's taking a nap in my room, but I left her some Pokémon food for her to eat when she wakes up," Elizabeth replied.

There was silence in the dining room as they continued to eat their meals. Towards the end of dinner, they began to talk again. "So, that's it then?" Granny smiled sadly. "You're finally leaving this time."

"That's right," She nodded.

"No holding back this time?" Grandpa asked.

Elizabeth laughed, recalling those exact words coming from Désirée before they reached her grandparents' house. "No holding back," She promised, placing her left hand over her heart and raising her right hand.

"Good, because we'll lock all the doors and windows if you do," he joked.

"Right, Grandpa," She rolled her eyes. "What if it's raining outside?"

"Then we'll give you your raincoat and you can stay outside until you decide to leave," He chuckled.

She laughed.

* * *

**So what did y'all think about my first chapter – well, second…actually, I don't know about this right now, it's a little confusing - for a collab fic? I kind of like it. (I mean I wrote it, so I have to like it.) So, as stated above, we really need a Leo and it would totally be awesome if someone submitted an OC for that spot. ****Anyways, R&R!**

**_~Lindsey Dylan~_**

**_(Also known as LD)_**


	4. Chapter 3

**AD: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the late update! Long story short, I moved back to college - my first apartment! - And school started. Also, I started (and got up to date with) a web-thing called Homestuck. Anyone who's read it knows how long and distracting that thing is, and also knows how stressful the last couple weeks of updates have been. (They should also contact me because I do not have nearly enough friends that like Homestuck.) Anyone that's not reading it...Well, I would highly suggest it. (Again, if you want more information, contact me. Need. Homestuck. Friends.) I've also been getting excited about ****Pokémon X/Y and the X/Y fic I'm going to write when it comes out. Hooray!**

**In any case, here is the belated chapter 3 of Zodiac!**

**Disclaimer: Neither I nor Lindsey Dylan own ****Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. The plot is mine, Anika Heartlily is mine, and Vega is mine. Elizabeth and Désirée belong to Lindsey Dylan, and all other OCs and Fakemon belong to their respective owners. Please do not use the plot or the characters unless you have express permission from both creators**

* * *

_**~Chapter 3~**_

* * *

"Vega, use Fury Swipes."

While Anika had used to think Pokémon battles were difficult, this one was almost ludicrously easy. The opposing trainer had chosen a Wooper to battle with, a Ground and Water type that was weak to both of Vega's types of Grass and Flying. She had hit it with a Leech Seed early on in the battle, which slowly drained its health into Vega. Supplemented by the occasional Absorb, all they needed to do was keep out of the way of their opponent's attacks and land an attack every once in a while.

The fourth and final slash of Vega's claws caused the Wooper to collapse to the ground in a dead faint. The opposing trainer let out a cry of dismay before running to his Pokémon.

Anika approached the two, watching as the Pokémon blinked its eyes open once more in its trainer's arms. "Is he okay?" she asked. She would have added that she didn't mean to hurt it, but that would have been a lie. It _was_ a battle, after all.

The other trainer recalled his Pokémon into its Pokéball. "He'll be fine. I'll run him to a Pokémon Center and get him healed." He dug into his pockets to pull out his wallet and pay Anika her prize money.

Then, he extended his hand out to Anika. "You're pretty good! I'll have to keep an eye out for you in the future. What's your name? Where did you learn to battle?"

Anika hesitantly shook his hand. "My name's Anika. I taught myself. Excuse me, I have to go register," she quickly excused herself and left.

Vega ran to catch up with her before slowing down to a trot to keep up. _Why did you run off like that?_ She asked.

Anika bent down to scoop up the white Pokémon into her arms so she had to exhaust herself trying to match her pace. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. "The battle was over, and I do need to register."

_You register at the __Poké__mon Center. He was going to the __Poké__mon Center as well. Why not go together? You could have made a friend._

"I doubt he would have wanted to be friend with someone like me," she replied.

_I know you're shy, Anika_, Vega told her, _and it's scary to put yourself out there because it's so easy to get hurt. But you'll never achieve anything if you don't try! Look at me. If I hadn't put my trust in you, we never would have met, and we wouldn't be here today._

"I guess," Anika murmured as she walked into the Pokémon Center. If she was being completely honest with herself, she was having second thoughts about this whole journey thing. She probably wasn't made for this sort of thing – sometimes she wondered if she should just go home and become a crazy Meowth lady instead of training Pokémon for real.

Her only real motivation was Vega. The two of them had become very close in the month leading up to leaving and the two weeks on the boat on the way to the Novus region. Vega was easily one of the closest friends Anika had ever had – but even more than that, she was one of the _only_ friends she had ever had. Anika had never thought she really needed friends. She had her family, she had the farm, and she had her books, and that was all she wanted. Did she ever feel lonely? Of course, but who didn't? She had just accepted it as something that was going to be a part of her life.

She had never expected that it would actually be _nice_ to just sit down and talk with someone. Neither Vega nor Anika were very talkative, but whether it was just the occasional joke or a deep discussion, Anika always walked away from their conversations feeling lighter and happier. How had she ever lived without that?

It was probably only Vega's enthusiasm about this journey that kept Anika from running away from this trip out of a bad case of cold feet.

"Excuse me, I'm here to register as a trainer," she told Nurse Joy behind the counter.

"Oh, another one?" the nurse smiled. "Let me see your passport and give me your registration fee, and I'll take care of it!"

Anika silently handed over her passport and the check she had written earlier that day. The nurse turned to a computer set up behind the counter and typed several things Anika couldn't see into it before slipping the check into a drawer. Then, she slipped into a back room, only for her to return a few moments later with several things in her hands

"Okay, you're all set to go!" Nurse Joy said, setting the things she had gathered from the other room on the counter top. "This is your trainer card," she told her, handing her a small, rectangular piece of plastic. It had Anika's passport picture on it, along with her name, birth date, and more. "Within the country, it will identify you as a Pokémon trainer. Don't lose it!"

"Next is your Pokédex." Nurse Joy handed her the small, red machine. "All you need to do is point it at a Pokémon, and, if it's recorded, it will tell you the species, type, and some information about it! If it doesn't recognize the Pokémon, it will begin collecting data on it, which you can choose to have shared all over the world! It will also tell you what moves a Pokémon knows and how close it is to evolving, or if there is a method to evolving it. Remember to get it updated regularly at a Pokémon Center!"

After that was a strange, scroll-like machine. "This is your region map. Let me show you how to use it!" The nurse rolled open the map, and the thin paper flickered to life with an image of the region. A screen? "It's a touch screen," the nurse explained, confirming Anika's suspicions. "It's connected to a satellite map system, so it's pretty accurate, even when you get really close!" She demonstrated by zooming into the town they were in right now – Ivory Port. Anika was amazed by the detail on the map – she could see the harbor the boat she was on had pulled into, the square where she had battled the trainer, and the streets she had walked down to get to the Pokémon Center. It also labeled important places and shops – the Pokémon Center, a famous flower shop nearby, a few hotels, restaurants, and more. It also had a tracking application that showed where she was at the moment which she could turn on and off.

Nurse Joy handed off a few more things to her, including five Pokéballs, a potion, and a badge case – apparently the starter kit for any new trainer.

Finally, as she was preparing to leave, Nurse Joy gave her a few more instructions. "You're going to take on the Gym challenge, right?" When Anika nodded, she continued, "The first Gym is in Sivrun Town, which is the town just to the north of here. The road there isn't too difficult; you shouldn't have any trouble getting there. It's more of a road for newbie trainers to test their skills. The Gym Leader, however, is no pushover – none of them are! He specializes in Rock type Pokémon, but even if you have a Pokémon that's strong to the Rock type, I highly suggest catching another one or two before taking him on."

"I see," Anika said. "Thank you for the advice." Then, she turned and left the Pokémon center, intent on making it to Sivrun Town before the evening.

Vega was silent for the entire walk through the town and out into the wilds, though Anika could sense a slight frustration from her. She probably wanted to talk to Anika about what happened after the battle again, but wasn't sure how to convince her to see things her way. Anika was perfectly happy not bringing it up again, so didn't say anything.

Instead, she enjoyed the scenery of the first route of the region. The land was flat with tall grass surrounding the dirt road. A river ran to her left, and every once in a while she could hear a splash – probably some sort of Water type Pokémon that lived in the river. Off in the distance, she could see a large forest, though no town – maybe the town was inside the forest? Beyond that she could see several skyscrapers – according to the map, it was probably Ferros City, one of the largest cities in the region. Behind even that, there was a mountain range; the one that ran all through the region and housed many of the major cities.

A sudden bark and the skittering of paws had Anika whirling toward Vega, who suddenly took off through the grass to her right. "Vega, wait! Where are you going?" She called as she started toward her, and then stopped suddenly at the edge of the road. She really should stay on the road, shouldn't she? Anything could be out there! Murderers or burglars or serial killers! Well, probably not in broad daylight, but that didn't mean it was safe to leave the road!

For a moment longer, she stood at the edge of the dirt path, watching the grass rustle as Vega got further and further away. Then, she stepped off the road and took off after her. "Vega, wait up! Not so fast!" She could afford to be a little less cautious for now; she had to go after Vega! Besides, even if she got lost, she had a high-tech map. She could find her way back to the road if they lost sight of it.

Unfortunately, despite her cries telling her to slow down, Vega kept racing off into the distance. Now the grass was much shorter, but the scattered trees were getting closer and closer together. Soon it would be a full-on forest.

Finally, Vega screeched to a stop, and Anika panted as she jogged up to her. "Hey, what was that? We shouldn't-"

_Hush! Look._

Anika quieted and peered around the tree they were behind. There, leaning against a trunk opposite of them was a Pokémon. It was small, white, and humanoid, with green hair and a pair of red horns. Though Anika already knew what the Pokémon was – she had read _The __Poké__mon Encyclopedia_ four or five times – she pulled out her Pokédex, flipped the switch to text-only mode, so she wouldn't have to worry about the Pokémon being scared off.

_Species: Ralts_

_Type: Psychic_

_Classification: The Feeling Pokémon_

_Gender: Male_

_Description: Ralts has the ability to sense the emotions of people. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood, this Pokémon grows cheerful and joyous in the same way._

_Moves: Confusion, Double Team, Teleport, Shadow Sneak_

Anika dropped to one knee to show Vega the results, and she nodded. _He's injured,_ she noted. Indeed, there were a few scratches covering the Ralts' body. _He probably got into a fight with another __Poké__mon or a trainer. Since he knows Teleport, he could have escaped fairly easily if they were too powerful, which is probably what happened._

Then, she turned to Anika. _You know, Nurse Joy did say you catch another __Pokémon or two before you reach Sivrun Town,_ she suggested slyly. _Just throw a Pokéball at it. It's probably too weak to break out of it. If I attack, it'll just run away again._

Anika nodded and reached into her bag for one of the Pokéballs Nurse Joy had given her earlier in the day. She had seen trainers with Ralts and their evolutions on the television back home; one would make a good addition to her new team. She pressed the button in the center to expand it to its normal size. Anika stood and threw it at the Psychic-type Pokémon, watching as it burst open and dragged the Ralts inside in a flash of light before snapping shut. Then, she held her breath and counted.

One.

Two.

Three.

_Click._

"Yes!" Anika cried as she leaped to her feet. When Vega sent her an amused glance, she slapped her hands over her mouth and blushed scarlet. "Sorry," she whispered, before realizing there was no more reason to whisper. "I got a little excited."

_I can see that. You should probably let it out of the Pokéball to heal its wounds. You have that potion Nurse Joy gave you, right?_

"I do," Anika replied as she picked up the Pokéball from the ground before releasing the Ralts. The Psychic type Pokémon looked very confused, as if it wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

_Hello, little friend,_ Vega greeted him, despite the fact that he was taller than her. _Welcome to the team. My name is Vega, and this is Anika, our new trainer._

"Hello," Anika smiled. "I'm your new trainer. Would you mind letting me heal your wounds?" she asked as she held up the potion to show him. The Ralts inspected her for a moment, as if sizing her up, and then seemed to decide to trust her. Anika began to spray the various scratches and bruises on his body with the potion, staring in awe as the wounds closed like magic.

"Hey, Vega," she asked, "You can probably talk to Pokémon too, right? Does that mean you can-"

_I can, but I won't,_ Vega replied. _I'm not going to help you cheat. You have to figure out how to understand him yourself_.

"Somehow I thought you would say something like that," Anika sighed. "I guess we need to figure out a name for you," she turned to the Ralts. "Oh, how about-"

"Hey, you took my Pokémon!"

Anika started at the other voice, on her feet in an instant to turn toward its source. Emerging from behind a tree emerged a girl around her age. She was almost a full head shorter than Anika – not uncommon, since Anika was pretty tall – and had a pretty, feminine face and a head of long, wavy brown hair.

"Um, what?"

The girl sighed and rolled her eyes. "The Ralts! I've been tracking it for hours! I battled it a couple of times, but it keeps teleporting away."

Anika's eyes widened. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked. She hadn't thought anyone was after it! "If I had known, I wouldn't have caught it. I'm really, really sorry." This was probably some sort of taboo in trainer etiquette; catching the Pokémon someone else was already after. How could she make this right? Oh, she knew! She grabbed the Pokéball she had caught the Ralts with and held it out to the other girl. "Here. You were the one that battled him; he's yours, fair and square."

The girl held up her hands and waved her away. "Uh, no, that's okay. You don't have to do that. You caught him; you deserve to keep him. I already lost my chance."

Anika dropped her hands, still holding the Pokéball. She stared at the ground and fidgeted, still embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she whispered again.

"Don't worry about it."

"I didn't mean to take your Pokémon."

"Stop apologizing!" the girl laughed. "I should be the one apologizing for over-reacting. I'm a coordinator, and I see Gardevoir in contest appeals all the time. I've always thought they were so graceful, so I got a little excited when I saw the Ralts. It's not a big deal; there are other Pokémon out there. It's only fair that you keep him."

"I see," Anika replied, still staring at the ground and running her fingers over the Pokéball in her hand. An awkward silence stretched between the two of them. She still felt awful about catching the girl's Pokémon, but what could she do? Well, she knew what she could do, but she was much too shy to bring it up.

Then, she glanced over at Vega. Should she go for it? She had said to try making friends earlier, but it was easier said than done. Vega just gave a shrug. _Thanks for the help, Vega_, she scoffed to herself.

The girl started to leave. "Anyways, I'll just-"

"I'llhelpyoufindanotherone!"

The girl paused and tilted her head at Anika. "Huh?"

Anika took a deep breath before continuing, but more slowly. "If there's one Ralts around here, there's probably more. I could help you find another one," she suggested, unable to look in the girl's brown eyes.

"Oh, that'd be nice. Thanks," she smiled at Anika.

"W-Where did you originally find this one?" Anika asked. "We can start there."

"It's not too far from here. It's in this direction," she said, pointing to Anika's left before heading out in that direction. "I'm Elizabeth, by the way. Elizabeth-Ann James," she introduced herself as Anika fell in step beside her after she had returned the Ralts to its Pokéball. Vega followed silently after.

"Anika Heartlily," she replied.

"Am I right in assuming you're new to the region as well? Trainer or coordinator? Or breeder, or maybe something else. I don't mean to assume."

"I'm new as well," Anika responded. "I'd like to be a trainer, but I don't know if I'll be a very good one. I used to watch battles on the television all the time at home; I don't think I could ever measure up to the trainers they show there…"

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Elizabeth assured her. "You're only just starting out. It'd be unfair to expect you to be as good as someone who's been training for years. Where are you from, anyways?"

"I'm from Sinnoh. My family runs a farm to the north of Solaceon Town."

"Oh, I'm from Sinnoh too. I was born in Hearthome City, but I was living with my grandparents in Floaroma Town until recently. They ran a bakery called Sweet City Bakery."

"Oh! I think my last birthday cake came from there," Anika said, smiling as she recalled it. Yellow cake with real buttercream icing, and the most gorgeous (and delicious) edible lily on top. "It was really good."

"Of course it was. We only made the best. I used to – Wait." Elizabeth held out an arm to stop her. "There."

Sure enough, right where she was pointing was another Ralts. "I'll back you up if it tries to run away," Anika whispered. "Good luck."

Elizabeth nodded and pulled a Pokéball from her bag. "Go, Désirée!" she called, and a blue, serpent-like Pokémon unlike any other Pokémon Anika had ever seen before leaped out in a flash of light.

_I knew it,_ Vega hissed.

Elizabeth's head jerked toward Vega, shock written all over her face. "Wait, you can-"

_Elizabeth, focus! We'll figure it out later!_ Another psychic voice echoed through Anika's head, but different from Vega's – it was slightly deeper, but still feminine, with a slight hiss in the undertones. Was that Elizabeth's Pokémon?

But Elizabeth's Pokémon – Désirée – was right. There would be time to be confused later. For now, Anika had to help Elizabeth catch this Pokémon!

"Désirée, use Ice Shard!" Elizabeth commanded. The Pokémon inhaled deeply, then exhaled a freezing cold breath, scattered with bits of ice. The Psychic-type Pokémon gave a squeal as it was struck by the frost. A direct hit!

_Ice Shard always hit first,_ Anika thought. _A good starting move, injuring it before it can Teleport away. I'll have to remember that._

The Ralts, however, was far from finished. It raised its arms, and its hands and horns were surrounded by a purple aura. A Confusion attack! Désirée was also surrounded by the light, which raised her into the air. Anika knew what would happen next – the attack would throw Désirée into something, giving the opposing Pokémon enough time to escape. If they were especially unlucky, Désirée would be confused by the attack as well.

Thankfully, Elizabeth was a quick thinker. "Désirée, use Dragonbreath!" The serpentine Pokémon writhed in the air, before opening her mouth and sending a blast of multicolored fire at the Ralts. The other Pokémon lost its concentration in the blaze, and the light around Désirée disappeared, dropping the Pokémon to the ground and causing her to be momentarily stunned.

That's when the Ralts popped into existence right in front of Anika – it had teleported out of the blaze! It was trying to escape! "Vega, don't let it get away!"

Just as the Ralts was about to make its escape, Vega rushed up to it hissing, and glaring, her fur puffed up. Anika found her Mean Look attack to be more cute than terrifying, but it seemed to do the trick, as the Ralts recoiled away from her, too scared to run in her direction.

"Quick, Désirée! Use Sing!" It seemed that Désirée had shaken the confusion off, and was focused once more. She opened her jaws and began to sing a soothing, calming song. Anika quickly reached down to cover Vega's ears – though a Sing attack would not affect a human, any Pokémon on the field was fair game.

The Ralts began to rock on its feet, struggling to stay awake. Then, finally, it sunk to the ground, curled up, and promptly fell asleep. Elizabeth tossed a Pokéball at it, and it rocked several times before clicking shut.

"Yes!" Elizabeth grinned, before coughing and calming down. "Uh, I mean, good. Excellent." She was still smiling, though. "Thanks for helping me. We make a pretty good team."

"Thanks," Anika smiled back. "You were fantastic out there! You used some strategies I hadn't thought of before; I'll have to try to incorporate them into my battles."

"Wow, aren't you coming out of your shell?" Elizabeth laughed. "More than one or two sentences at once? Looking me in the eye? Talking above a whisper?"

Anika blushed. "Sorry!" she squeaked, then quieted her voice and averted her eyes to the ground. "I didn't mean to offend you," she murmured.

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant it in a good way. How about we stick together for a little longer?" Elizabeth suggested. "Our Pokémon seem to get along nicely as well. This reminds me…"

Anika and Elizabeth turned to Désirée and Vega, who had approached each other. Désirée had bent down to be eye-level with the much smaller fox Pokémon.

…_by Vega now. Well, I suppose it's all well and good. I couldn't remember much when I arrived either. I still don't,_ the voice that Anika recognized from before (Désirée?) said.

_It was rather disorienting, wasn't it?_ Vega replied. _My memory from…before is still hazy, but it's nice to know that I still recognize old friends._

"Do you two know each other?" asked Elizabeth.

_Yes_, Désirée replied at the exact moment that Vega replied, _no_. The two glanced at each other before Vega responded _yes_ and Désirée interjected with a _No_.

_It's hard to explain, _Vega finally stepped forward. _Anika knows my memory before meeting her more or less doesn't exist. I assume Désirée told you something similar, Elizabeth?_ When Elizabeth nodded, Vega continued, _though I do not technically remember anything from that time, I do know that Désirée and I knew each other. I'm not quite sure how, but I know it's true. It's a difficult feeling to explain unless you're the one feeling it._

"How strange," Anika murmured, turning to Elizabeth. "We both have telepathic Pokémon, who only we can understand for some reason – "

_Actually, I can explain that_, Désirée interjected as she slithered forward. _You can hear us because the shapes of our minds are the same. _When Anika and Elizabeth stared at her blankly, she continued on, _our thought processes are similar. The way we think about things, our personalities, how we feels about things, they're all similar. __Poké__mon like Vega and I project out thoughts and feelings onto people like that – unintentionally, of course. Usually, only Anika would be able to hear Vega, and only Elizabeth would be able to hear me. However, Vega can hear me and vice versa, so we act as a type of go-between with our thoughts, thus why Anika can hear me and Elizabeth, Vega. If Vega wasn't here, Anika would not be able to understand me._

" Pokémon like you?" Anika asked. "Are there more?"

_I wasn't sure of it before I met Désirée, _said Vega, _but now I'm sure of it. I think there are twelve, but there could be more or less. I'm not sure._

"Well, in any case," Anika continued, "We both have telepathic Pokémon that can only communicate with certain types of people, and am I right in assuming no one has ever seen a Pokemon like Désirée before?" Elizabeth nodded. "That's what I thought. We both have completely undocumented Pokemon. _And_ we both just caught a Ralts. I suppose we _have_ to stick together for a while now, if only to try to solve the mystery."

"Wow, try not to sound too enthusiastic about it."

"Sorry! I'll do my best to keep my excitement bottled up when you're around. I don't emote so violently usually; I'll keep it under control from now on."

"No, Anika, see that was sarcasm. I said that because you practically said that in a monotone. If you were anyone else, I would have thought that previous statement was sarcastic as well, but I'm pretty sure you were serious. I was inviting you to be more enthusiastic about it, not trying to get you to calm down."

"So…you want me to get excited about it?"

Vega and Désirée chuckled in the background. _I have a feeling this is going to be the beginning of an excellent friendship_.

_Agreed._

* * *

_**~Amerath's Destiny~**_

_**(Also known as AD)**_


End file.
